Heart Attack
by GoddessOfTheVampires
Summary: To say Jane Shepard was surprised by their recent discovery would be an understatement finding Javik, a Prothean placed into to stasis for over 50,000 years was enough of a shock but finding another pod on Digeris was enough to make even her head spin. GarrusxOC


To say Jane Shepard was surprised by their recent discovery would be an understatement finding Javik, a Prothean placed into to stasis for over 50,000 years was enough of a shock but finding another pod on Digeris was enough to make even her head spin. They hadn't had time while on the planet to try and figure out how to open the pod as the Reaper forces had hit them hard as soon as they had found it. At first she had thought it was another Prothean but Javik had quickly dismissed that theory saying the pods decretive exterior was not of Prothean design.

"If it's not a Prothean pod then what is it?" she asked turning to her newest crew member, he stared at the pod for a few moments "This appears to be a Castanic stasis pod…I would not recommend opening it commander" Javik spoke in a commanding tone, annoying Shepard slightly, she needed to remind him frequently that he wasn't the one in charge here. "And why is that?" she turned her blue eyes back to the pod "The Castanic's were the only race in the galaxy that were not part of our empire…they resisted" "So because their race hurt your races ego by standing up to them we should just let this one rot in a stasis pod for another 50,000 years" replied Garrus dryly causing Shepard to smirk slightly "What are the Castanic's?" Javik moved to touch the commander "No explain in words I've had enough Prothean visions to last a life time" "As you wish commander…they were a fierce race, protecting their home-world was everything to them, they care little for modesty and will fight to the last soul even if they know they will lose…they look very akin to humans though they live much longer" "Sounds like a Turian" Garrus chuckled. "Do you know how to open the pod?" he shook his large head "I do not commander".

Garrus approached the pod "I'll help Shepard" he said as he placed a hand atop the pod. Suddenly the pod beeped and a strange blue light began flashing over Garrus, it reminded him of the biometric scanner on the Citadel. "Turian evolutionary descendant detected…opening pod" Garrus looked at Shepard blankly as unseen gears whirred inside "The Castanic's watched over the Turian's…they believed they would lead the next cycle" Javik filled in for them "Well I guess that explains that then…I don't recall anything in our history ever mentioning them" "When the Reapers came they wiped any evidence that they had ever been to your planet in hopes of keeping the Reapers uninterested in you". The pod gave a loud hissing sound as air rushed into the opening compartment, they all looked down into the pod "She…has horns" Shepard blinked several times as if trying to see the creature properly, she looked so human apart from the large black and red curved horns protruding from her head, her skin was lightly tanned causing her mid-length spiked white hair to contrast beautifully, her ears were rather long and pointed reminding her of the Earth fairytales about elves, Shepard had to admit for a 50,000 year alien aesthetically she was very appealing. Suddenly her hand shot up and grabbed Garrus by the collar of his armour her fingers grazing his skin, it felt like electricity was coursing through his plates as strange images began flashing through his mind, after a few moments her hand dropped away and she took a shuddering breath her body lurching upwards in the pod "It's ok Shepard you can put your gun down she didn't hurt me…just showed me some weird images" Shepard looked sceptical and turned to Javik "She responded to a race she knew much like us they use touch to communicate…what you saw were her last moments on her home world" "What did you see?" asked Shepard "She was leading a platoon against the Reaper attacking…everyone was killed except her, she fought them off…her guns were out of ammo so she charged them with a sword…Shepard she killed at least 100 collectors before she was forced into the pod" "Forced into the pod?" "Her name is Amane she was one of the most decorated leaders of her species, they would not have let her perish even if it meant ultimately losing their home world" "How do you know so much about her?" "We fought many times". Amane groaned slightly as her eyes began to flutter open revealing pale silvery blue eyes with almost no visible pupil, her gaze landed immediately on Garrus and a smile spread across her face "I guess it worked then….the Reapers left you in peace" he could only stare dumbfounded by the beautiful alien before him, she looked a little confused "Did the transfer not work…can you not understand me?" her hand reached for his face and he gently grabbed it mid air, another flood of images entered his mind "No it worked" he said after a few stunned seconds.

He began to help her out of the pod, her limbs stiff from lack of use, as she stood to her full height Garrus and Shepard couldn't help but stare at the armour she was wearing, if it could be called that, her legs were encased up to her mid thigh in silver metal with a feather looking design at the top even though it too was clearly metal, her boots were heeled with a small spike at the front and each side of them, there was a small break in the metal at her knees where the boots curved outwards and her black undersuit was visible. Her arms were wrapped in large decretive gauntlets, her hands were covered by her undersuit and up to her mid-upper arm where there were was a ring of spiked metal around each arm, the pauldrons rose up like a high collar but stood straight up not nearing her neck, the rest of them reached down around her back to attach to the main body of her armour which resembled a metal bikini made of multiple hexagon shaped pieces of metal, at her ribs this flared up and around her back. Above her ribs on each side were strange black jagged almost lightening bolt shaped marks stopping at her hips where another set sat close by curving over her hips and around her back. a set of four metal studs was in the centre stopping above her belly button, another set of three studs sat under her belly button but these were more closely grouped, she had two more sets of three studs on either side heading towards her hips. Noticing the rather large and dangerous looking sword strapped to her back Shepard came to her senses raising her gun at the alien.

"She will not attack Commander…it was drilled into all Castanic's from birth to never hurt a Turian" Javik's voice seemed to snap her out of her exchange with Garrus, she whirled around with a growl her eyes narrowing on him "You!" she exclaimed as she pulled her sword from her back, Garrus placed his hand on her arm, she turned her head to gaze into his eyes, as soon as their eyes met he was bombarded with more images, images of the things the Protheans had done to her people. "Shepard if what she just showed me is true I'm inclined to let her attack him" "They resisted the Empire…there was consequences" at his comment her eyes flashed back to him and a dark red light coursed over her body crackling like electricity "Consequences…you poisoned most of our planets water with levo-amino based bacteria…knowing we would die from allergic reaction" "Amane" Garrus called her name, gaining her attention "He is helping us stop the Reapers" she sighed her display of biotics dissipating "Are we all calm now" came Shepard's commanding tone Amane slipped to the floor he sword clattering next to her "It has truly been 50,000 years?" the events of the past few minuets seemed to have finally caught up with her the gravity of her situation weighing down on her as hung her head in shame "Yes we are both the last of our people" Javik replied.

"Commander I would suggest taking Amane to Dr Chackwas…the emotional repercussions of finding out she is the last of her race could manifest physically" EDI's voice rang over the com system "Good idea EDI" Garrus leant down to help her up placing his hand on her bare shoulder causing a flood of what he could only describe as her memories of her lost loved ones he quickly removed his hand as if burned, he could feel a crushing weight resting in his chest "I would not recommend touching her at the moment, she is too distressed to control what she communicates you will experience her crushing sorrow as well as the memories she is reliving" Garrus looked down at her sadly, he had watched Palaven burn and he could relate to how she was feeling but to know everyone you had ever known was gone and you had been unable to fight and die with your kind because they had forced the responsibility of being the survivor of your race upon you. He knelt down to her level being mindful of touching her "Amane…we need to get you checked over…can you come with me?" he spoke to her like one would a child or a feral animal but it seemed to work she gazed up at him and nodded, raising from the floor with him she left her sword where it had fell.

"This is one time where I'll say that having Kelly around would be helpful" Shepard and Garrus were sitting in the mess eating their respective meals, Garrus gazed towards life support where Amane had been housed "Yeah she certainly was good at getting you talking…to be honest Shepard I'm more worried about having Javik about after the stuff she showed me…to say the Protheans were ruthless is an understatement" "Yeah I picked up on that from her comment about them poising her worlds water supplies…that's pretty barbaric" "I think taking her groundside with you on the next mission would do her good, especially if we're fighting Reapers might help her focus on something other than the fate of her people" she gazed up from her meal at her scarred friend and smiled "I think you might be onto something there big guy" "I'll take her a meal and tell her the good news… its nice having someone who eats the same food…you've finally got better rations" he chuckled his mandibles flaring causing Shepard to scowl at him. Raising from the table he grabbed another meal from the kitchen and after heating it he quickly headed to life support. The door opened automatically upon his approach but he called out before entering "Amane…can I come in?" "If you wish Garrus" came her quiet reply, stepping around the corner he found her seated upon the floor in front of her bed, the table that had once been present was now in storage. She was sitting cross legged in a meditative position, her crimson biotics swirled around her feeding into a small ball of glowing red energy, it reminded him of the way Samara has always meditated and he found himself watching the swirling energy with rapt fascination, after a few seconds the ball disappeared and she stood to greet him gazing at the tray in his hand with a confused look "I brought you some food…it's a Turian favourite so I figured it would be safe for you" "Thank you Garrus…I do not like venturing out of this room, I have grown weary of the stares from the crew I thought they would grow accustomed to me after a few days" Garrus had to stop his mandibles flaring in a smirk "I don't think it has anything to do with you being an alien I think they are just unaccustomed to armour such as yours" she glanced down at herself and looked quite adorably clueless "I do not understand" Garrus was thankful in that moment that Turian's could not blush "Well umm…you are an attractive woman especially to the human males aboard and…umm to see so much skin is usually distracting to them" "I suppose it is to be expected it is one of the reasons our armour is designed this way…I have some spare light armour in the pod perhaps that is more suited to when I am on the ship" he nodded and handed her the tray "I'll go get it for you and then after you eat I can take you on a tour of the ship" she gave him a tentative smile in return.

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On a note I do not own Mass Effect sadly and also the Castanic's are from a game called Terra, I loved the idea of them and thought they would fit well into the Mass Effect world.

Please review and let me know what you think, my last Mass Effect story did not go down to well and I was accused of it being an awful Marysue story I think they called it so I do hope this one is not the same.

On a side note I had the idea for this back in ME2 but thought the idea of a stasis pod being around for 50,000 years might be a bit far fetched but hey if Bioware can do it I thought why not and set in in 3 instead of 2


End file.
